Hell hath no fury like a Provincial Administrator scorned. For weeks on end, Provincial Administrator Alfonso “Mr. Ae” Damalerio was the favorite whipping boy in a radio program over Station DYTR hosted by broadcaster Roger Balamad. Sensing that the radio attacks bordered already on the personal and therefore below the belt, Damalerio thought “enough was enough” prompting him to seek the assistance of the Criminal Intelligence and Detection Group (CIDG) under Police Senior Inspector Carlos Lictag. In an entrapment operations Wednesday afternoon, CIDG operatives led by Inspector Lictag laid the dragnet to bag Damalerio's tormentor at the Brewpoint Coffeeshop along J.R. Borja St. Right and there, Balamad was caught red-handed receiving the marked money amounting to P5,000 given to him by a go-between identified as Emmanuel Sumampong.

According to reports, the entrapment took place after the suspect counted the money in front of the go-between. In an interview with Damalerio, he said he was fed up with the media attacks of Balamad that he decided to give in to the radioman's demand for monetary consideration in exchange for a more favorable commentary in the radio programs. Thru the intermediary, the provincial administrator gave an initial amount of P5,000 prompting Balamad to tone down his rhetoric against Damalerio. For Damalerio, it was good news to him that for the initial amount of P5,000, he was already spared of the acerbic tongue of Balamad. It proved that Damalerio's euphoria was only short- lived. In no time, he was again subjected to vicious attacks. It turned out that Balamad allegedly was asking for a weekly allowance of P5,000, not P5,000 monthly.

THE ENTRAPMENT

Balamad was arrested on Wednesday by elements of the CIDG at a posh coffee shop in the city during an entrapment operation in which he was caught by police operatives receiving a P5,000 marked money, delivered to him by a “radio listener-broker.” Balamad's arrest sent shock waves to members of Bohol media, who immediately expressed condemnation on any form of extortions targeting private individuals or public officials in exchange of a favorable opinion or in return of a harmless commentary. For years Balamad has been identified with the administration of former city mayor Dan Lim, being an “attack dog,” so to speak, who on daily basis has been unleashing harsh commentaries against Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto, Damalerio, and Capitol officials. During one of Balamad's commentaries, he accused the bodyguards of Gov. Chatto as alleged illegal drug traders, an allegation that has become the basis of the libel complaint.

In a March 7, 2014 sworn statement, Nelson Suaybaguio, one of Chatto's security guards, said that on February 11, 2014 he was listening to Balamad's program over DYTR. Suaybaguio had quoted Balamad as saying: “Mao nay giingon, mga higala, nga sige'g akusar nga shabu queen, shabu queen, unya mga ginsakopan diha sa Capitolyo nagnegosyo, mga higala, og illegal nga drugas sa lalawigan, bodyguards sa gobernador.” Suaybaguio said he felt dishonored “because I know that the allegation of Mr. Balamad is not true but false. Mr. Balamad is just maliciously imputing a crime against us without any basis at all.” On the same day, Suaybaguio told Marcos Castro, a member of the Provincial Security Force, of what the former had heard from Balamad. Castro, in a separate sworn statement, claimed he had also heard of Balamad's allegations aired on February 11, 2014. “The malicious imputation of Mr. Balamad against me being one of Governor Chatto's bodyguards casts dishonor and discredit to my person and dignity as his accusations are totally unfounded and baseless. Even the manner of presenting his radio program containing rude laughter especially after he accused us of being involved in drug business shows his malicious desire to defame us,” Castro said.

Although the libel complaint filed against Balamad on March 7, 2014 is not directly related to the March 5, 2014 entrapment operation, the radio commentator was slapped with a separate case filed on March 6, 2014 in relation to Article 356 of the RPC, entitled “Threatening to Publish and Offer to Prevent Such (Libelous) Publication for a Compensation.” Article 356 of the RPC provides that “the penalty of arresto mayor or a fine from 200 to 2,000 pesos, or both, shall be imposed upon any person who threatens another to publish a libel concerning him or the parents, spouse, child, or other members of the family of the latter or upon anyone who shall offer to prevent the publication of such libel for a compensation or money consideration.” According to court records, Balamad was trying to negotiate with Damalerio so that the former would tone down his radio attacks against the provincial administrator. Damalerio, in a sworn statement, said that on February 11, 2014 he had also heard of Balamad's accusation, linking provincial employees and officials to alleged illegal drug business.

“That being the Provincial Administrator, such serious, malicious and defamatory (statement) is an affront to the provincial government and its employees,” Damalerio said in his affidavit. “Moreover, it is also my duty to protect the goodwill and honor of the provincial government and its employees from any form of malicious, defamatory and baseless accusations.” According to Damalerio, on February 22, 2014, one Emmanuel Sumampong had approached him and told him that if one of the provincial government officials would give P5,000 per week to Mr. Balamad, “he (would) soften his aggressive and malicious attack against the provincial government, including its top leaders.” In order to “ascertain and validate the information of Sumampong,” Damalerio said he handed down P5,000 to the informant Sumampong. On February 24, 2014 Sumampong reported to Damalerio that he already delivered the P5,000 cash to Balamad at Brewpoint Coffee, this city.

The provincial administrator said that after February 24, 2014 he noticed that Balamad had indeed softened his rant against the provincial government. But on March 2, 2014, Damalerio narrated in his affidavit, he received another text from Sumampong informing him that Balamad was again demanding another P5,000 cash on March 3, 2014. “Instead of giving the amount on his suggested date, I instructed Mr. Sumampong to deliver the money only on March 5, 2014,” Damalerio said. He said that because of Balamad's demand, “I seek the assistance from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.” In a joint sworn statement, CIDG chief Police Senior Inspector Carlos B. Lictag, SPO2 Renato Garcia and PO2 David Enterina attested that on March 4, 2014, provincial administrator Damalerio had sought assistance from the CIDG regarding Balamad's demand for money. After evaluating Damalerio's concern, the CIDG then planned out an entrapment operation in which Sumampong would deliver the second wave of P5,000 to Balamad at the same place.

The CIDG said Damalerio had provided the P5,000 marked money bills, which were utilized in the entrapment operation. Live video circulating on social media websites, particularly on Facebook.com, shows that Balamad had indeed received the P5,000 cash from Sumampong prior to his arrest at the Brewpoint Coffeshop. The video showed that CIDG operatives swooped down on Balamad after he counted the P5,000 bills. The suspect was then handcuffed by the police and he was appraised of his rights. Police Chief Inspector Engineer Pinky Sayson Acog, forensic chemical officer at the Bohol provincial police, had confirmed that Balamad tested positive for the presence of bright yellow ultraviolet fluorescent powder being rubbed on the marked money. “Ultraviolet fluorescent powder is present on both hands of Roger Balamad,” Acog said in a laboratory report dated March 5, 2014.

THE BROKER

In a separate affidavit, Emmanuel “Wendel” Sumampong, a city resident, claimed that he is an “avid listener of radio programs anchored by Roger Balamad of station DYTR.” Sumampong said that some time on February 2014 he sent a text message to Balamad during his live radio broadcast, heaping praises on the commentator's hard-hitting commentary style. “Every time I listen to his radio programs, I also send him text messages praising him and Roger Balamad would also reply, and then we became friends,” Sumampong said. In the course of their virtual friendship, the two met on the third week of February, 2014 at Brewpoint. In their conversation, Balamad allegedly insinuated to Sumampong that if the latter could “approach PA Damalerio and ask for money, he would not anymore bombard them with issues.” Sumampong was promised of a commission if he could deliver to Balamad the P5,000 cash. “I agreed to his instruction because of the commission he offered,” Sumampong said.

“I was told and ordered by Roger Balamad to demand from PA Damalerio the amount of P5,000 per week to be given every Monday and Balamad will not anymore bombard PA Damalerio and the provincial government of Bohol with malicious commentaries,” Sumampong said. On February 24, 2014 Sumampong claimed he delivered P5,000 to Balamad, but “I did not receive the promised commission.” After another round of negotiation, on March 5, 2014, still at Brewpoint, Sumampong again delivered the P5,000 cash demanded by Balamad from Damalerio, but this time the radio broadcaster suddenly found himself the object of CIDG's entrapment operation. Balamad was arrested at Brewpoint, and the CIDG brought him to Camp Dagohoy's lock-up jail. The next day Balamad was slapped with a criminal complaint in relation to Article 356 of the RPC. Then the day after that, Balamad was sued for libel over his drug-related allegations hurled against the bodyguards of Gov. Chatto.